Body of Research

The only place on the body where the vagus nerve (VN) sends its only peripheral branch is on the outer ear. The auricle is where this VN branch surfaces to form a cutaneous receptive field in the pinna of the ear — an area responsive to peripheral nerve stimulation. Thus, the auricle allows for easy access for auricular (and transcutaneous auricular) vagus nerve stimulation (aVNS/taVNS), that relays the stimuli to the brainstem and higher brain regions via extensive projections to second and...

The author suggests that pathological neural activity could be treated by directing specific plasticity to renormalize circuits and restore function. Rehabilitative therapies aimed to promote adaptive circuit changes after neurological disease or injury, are often prevented in supporting full recovery owing to insufficient or maladaptive plasticity. Adjunctive strategies that broadly support plasticity to facilitate rehabilitative interventions have the potential to improve treatment in a wid...